Is Christianity Polytheistic?

Wow! Here we go!! THE TRINITY!!! Where in the Bible does the word appear? Nowhere. Where in the Bible does the concept appear? From Genesis to Revelation. One of my pet peeves is how so many of us abuse, stereotype certain words, concepts. Ghost is usually taken to mean "the disembodied spirit of a dead person". Meditation is usually prejudicially referred to with eastern applications. Argument is usually assumed to employ negative, confrontational methods. Evolution (uh oh!) is usually taken to mean macro without micro. These are some of the biggies for me. And, of course, trinity is usually assumed to mean polytheism. Who uses the words and how? They each have contextual meaning and application. As a believer, i have a revealed but limited and simple understanding of the concept of the Trinity. We would be foolish and arrogant to think we, believer or not, could come to full knowledge and understanding of the deeper mysteries of the Creator. I see no idolatry in my belief in the triunity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We could talk for years and years about this topic. The question is, are we going to refuse to be open-minded to change and adapt our preset beliefs to the truth as it is revealed to us? That is totally up to the individual.

As for Mary worship and praying to her and the "Saints"? Well, Mary was chosen to carry and mother Jesus. Other than that, she was no different than you or me. She was a sinner, she died, and will be judged (Heb 9:27). The "Saints" were and are men and women declared as such by the Catholic Church. Let me say here to be clear that i do not take issue with Catholics! I simply disagree with how the Church's hierarchy understands and promotes certain theological concepts. We have one Intercessor! According to Scripture, all believers are saints. God is no respecter of persons. "Saint" Augustine was a great Christian thinker. "Saint Brigid" was a wonderful Christian philanthropist. They lived and they died and they will be judged...just like me. Prayers offered to a dead person, saint or not, are empty. We are to pray only to the God who can actually effect them! Lastly, when we pray to God we are exhibiting that communication as an act of worship. Hence, if i pray to Mary or a "saint" i am committing idolatry. I am telling God that direct communication with Him is in some way not sufficient for me.

Interesting question. The answer is a very obvious yes, but finding the reason for this answer is where it becomes complex. In addition to those you listed, Satan should be included. They are two sides to the same coin; both conscious, spiritual entities who have power and influence in the physical world, while also meeting the applied definition of the word "god". Morality and "good" or "bad" are the same in concept, and have no effect on a god's influence on the physical world. Christianity has merely revised the definition of "god".

Regarding saints, growing up in a Catholic church that is a topic I am quite familiar with. There is a specific doctrine called intercession, in which one prays directly to a saint(who is often specialized in some area, a "Patron" saint), and the saint petitions god on behalf of those offering the prayer. The saints have no specific divine power, but it is still a murky area in the sense of why can't the prayer be directly to god himself.

There is little explanation for the "Holy Trinity". Believers often say they are the same entity, but yet are still separate powers. At most the concept of the holy spirit being the power of god could provide some explanation, but that still leaves a minimum of three gods (again, god in the sense of having influence in the physical world).

My use of god has been in the Abrahamic conception of god, the basis for the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religions. In the monotheistic definition, god is the sole(only) deity. In Polytheism, god is the principal (primary) deity. Christianity, in my view, fits the polytheistic definition quite well, often times even with god taking a back seat to Jesus.

Maybe from the Catholic view it could, but from the Christian view, no. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all the same entity. God describes himself as "I am". Jesus was God in the flesh, who came to show how we are to live and to be the sacrifice for all sins for all time. In the old testament, God said a blood sacrifice was needed to atone for sin, and that the wages of sin is death. When Christ was crucified, the Holy Spirit was sent to convict all men, not just those Christ came in contact with. As a man God could only reach those around him, the Holy Spirit could reach all the world.

Christianity--true Christianity--is not polytheistic. Catholicism is not true Christianity--you pray only to God--not to dead people. The Catholic Church's doctrine is demonically influenced.

The God of the Bible is a triune God: That is, one God that exists in three persons: God the father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Yes. I know you are specifically talking about the Catholic branch of Christianity... However if you look at Christianity as a whole, the answer is still an affirmative. Given the varying number of Christian sects and their individual tenants, it is obviously a polytheistic religion.